(Resolution adopted at the fifth plenary session, held on June 5, 19991)
WHEREAS:
The Preamble of the Charter of the OAS establishes that representative
democracy is an indispensable condition for the stability, peace, and development of the
region;
Under the provisions of the Charter, one of the basic purposes of the
OAS is to promote and consolidate representative democracy, with due respect for the
principle of non-intervention;
Due respect must be accorded to the policies of each member country in
regard to the recognition of states and governments;
In view of the widespread existence of democratic governments in the
Hemisphere, the principle, enshrined in the Charter, that the solidarity of the American
states and the high aims which it pursues require the political organization of those
states to be based on effective exercise of representative democracy must be made
operative; and
The region still faces serious political, social, and economic problems
that may threaten the stability of democratic governments,
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
RESOLVES:
- To instruct the Secretary General to call for the immediate convocation of a meeting of
the Permanent Council in the event of any occurrences giving rise to the sudden or
irregular interruption of the democratic political institutional process or of the
legitimate exercise of power by the democratically elected government in any of the
Organizations member states, in order, within the framework of the Charter, to
examine the situation, decide on and convene and ad hoc meeting of the Ministers of
Foreign Affairs, or a special session of the General Assembly, all of which must take
place within a ten-day period.
- To state that the purpose of the ad hoc meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs or the
special session of the General Assembly shall be to look into the events collectively and
adopt any decisions deemed appropriate, in accordance with the Charter and international
law.
- To instruct the Permanent Council to devise a set of proposals that will serve as
incentives to preserve and strengthen democratic systems, based on international
solidarity and cooperation, and to apprise the General Assembly thereof at its
twenty-second regular session.